Chapter 64: In the Mouth of Madness (Part 5)

It was Red...

The very same color that I always hated to see, But it was also the very same color that flowed running down my hands.

I look at my Hands in horror, It was so dark. I could barely see anything. I tried to look in every direction but all I see was Red.

And yet the very same color that I hated was so beautiful. It was alluring it tried to pull me in with it's beauty. I try to remember the stimulation of that kind of feeling.

The feeling of power...

The feeling of looking down on your enemy, and watch the life drain out of them. Then it dawned on me. The very thing that was flowing on my hands.

Blood.

BLOOD!!

It was blood! My head felt dizzy, and my eyesight blurred as tears slowly fell down from my face.

I was already lying on the ground. I hadn't realized when my legs gave out. I was just laying there covered in blood.

But it's not mine...

Countless footsteps close in on me as I lay there, I look towards the direction of that specific sound.

But I realized that It came from everywhere, I was surrounded by that eerie footsteps. As if it was closing in on me.

I sat up, Then I could finally see faint figures approach. They looked like human figures. But the way they walked doesn't sit right with me. It's like they were shambling towards me.

I tried to get close to them perhaps they can tell me why I'm covered in blood. But I can't muster up the strength to stand or walk even. I crawled awkwardly towards them.

But before I reached them, it seemed as if it has started to rain. I look towards my hands it's still covered in blood.

It won't get washed away!

IT WON'T GET WASHED AWAY!

Then as if the footsteps got louder, but this time it came from behind me. But I don't see anyone. I look down I see mud smeared all over me. But I can't control my body as I crawled into a certain direction.

I won't stop, The footsteps behind me stopped. Then it resumed, but it was louder this time. It was as if they were running. Towards my direction. My body started to move faster too as I increased the pace of my crawling.

Then I finally understood where I was, it was the battlefield. Where we fought those masked monsters. And those... people.

Anger took over my senses as I clawed the ground wanting to kill everything in my path. I look up to see myself. Standing there looking towards my direction. Huh? What's going on.

She's running towards my direction, Why are you raising your blade!? it's me! I'm you! Stop!!

Her blade came down swiftly and stabbed me in the chest. Why is she looking at me like that? With disgust and fear? Why does she look like she wants to stop but can't control her urges to kill?

But rather why? I tried to pull away the Cutlass that was embedded on my chest, but it disappeared. The only thing left was a hole in my chest. Blood flowed out of it.

As that happened, I started to lose consciousness. I don't feel any pain, but I wasn't angered when she struck me down. I felt gratitude?

Why?

She killed me!

Am I not supposed to be angry!?

Then as I was thinking these my vision changed, I'm running this time. But towards the same direction. I know how this was going to end so I tried stopping myself, But I couldn't.

It was as if I wasn't running towards myself, but towards the lethal blade that kills me Everytime I see it.

I understand now...

The one's running towards the blade isn't me, but rather the people I've killed.

YES...

IT ISN'T MY BLOOD...

I stared once more at my hands and all I see was red. I look at the blade I was holding, and it was already replaced by a red hue. It's previous silver lustre was replaced by their blood.

I tried to scream but there's no voice that came out. It felt like numerous things within me are disappearing.

Then the rain stopped, I looked around everything stopped. But I could hear their screams. As they lay in their own pool of blood. Their lifeless eyes stared at me. It sent shivers down my spine.

I threw my blade away and ran. But it felt like I wasn't moving at all. I was still in that same place. I crouched down and closed my eyes and covered my ears.

But I could still hear them scream as they choked on their own blood. I can't escape it!!

The guilt kills me. It scares me, I've killed. I have ended their lives at the cost of my life alone. Many have died just for me! And for what!? Nothing!

But then suddenly a light from above came, the light felt warm. I immediately grabbed the hand that reached out towards me. It felt like a saving grace.

I smiled towards the hand that reached out to me. It pulled me out of the mountain of corpses beneath me. I slowly crawled out of that hole.

Then I looked up to see who saved me was, but it was on a shade of black I couldn't see through it. The face was covered with a white fang mask.

Then the mask slowly fell down revealing the face I wanted to see. but then I saw what's beneath, my smile froze.

It was me? How?

But as I look at myself warmly smiling, I felt a sense of dread. She went near me and held my face.

"Not what you were expecting huh?"

I shook my head, but it doesn't matter I was saved. I wanted to ask what she is to have the same look as I do.

And as if she could read my mind she answered me.

"Well... I'm you. But a different you at the same time.

Or should I say I'm the you from the future, I'm the Hell that is your future!!"

She held my face as she peered directly into my soul. She was grinning madly, As she was covered by that red color I hated. She bathed in it, reveled in it.

The faint smell of iron repulsed my being from it's very core. From when I was young till now I always hated seeing that color.

"I will incinerate your past, Tear apart the past! I will create a new one...

A better one! One that is perfect, one that is without pain."

I looked towards her and gulped, I was afraid of asking what it was. For the answer might be the one I dread to do.

But since she is me she probably knows what I was thinking.

"Kill...

It's that simple, Kill off the heart that feels mercy."

I widened my eyes. "No I don't want to!" I screamed.

She furrowed her brows as she hit me in the face, warm liquid flowed out of my nose.

She was smirking, "We might share a body, but by now you should know... I will always be your better half. I might be the demon on your shoulder... But I am the mirror image of perfection.

Have you not seen the legacy I've carved into these weaklings!? No matter where you run, no matter where you hide... I'll always be there hiding in your own shadow. Waiting to take control of you..."

Then she disappeared like a black mist swirling into the darkness. I slowly stood up looking around and all I see were corpses.

They slowly stood up surrounding me, I kept hearing their voices. It won't stop.

Why!?

WHY?WHY? WHY!???

"No! Get away!!!!"

Then it all Faded to Black.

---------------------

*Gasps*

Winter slowly sat up, she was covered in sweat. Yet she was shivering. She stared at the person next to her. He was calmly cooking food for the two of them.

She hugged her knees weakly, Haruki stared at her as he reached out a meat skewer towards her.

"That bad huh? Here... this might cheer you up."

Winter stared at the food Haruki gave her, and she felt faint, Nauseous even. She ran outside dropping the meat on the ground.

Once more she emptied her stomach, on a nearby tree. She was once more drenched by the falling rain. Just like yesterday and just like the one in her dreams.

She bawled her heart out, but her screaming was drowned out by the storm. No one could hear her plight. She bellowed towards the sky for help, but not even a single sign appeared.

She silently wept, Falling apart in the pouring rain.